Cyber News Rundown: Banking Trojans in Google Play

Banking Trojans Still Appearing in Google Play Store

Multiple security researchers recently discovered a handful of banking trojans that have still managed to make their way into the Google Play app store, despite Google having increased its security to detect such apps. Many of the apps are disguised as astrology/horoscope software, but instead of reading the future, they steal SMS and call logs from the device, install unauthorized apps, and even seek out banking credentials based on other installed applications. Some of these apps had been installed by up to 1,000 individuals, many of whom are likely under the assumption that the app removed itself, after showing a fake error message claiming incompatibility with the device.

Obama-themed Ransomware Forges Dangerous Path

A new ransomware variant bearing the face of the former US president, Barack Obama, has been spotted in the wild performing some unusual encryption tactics. Rather than encrypting personal word documents and pictures, this variant focuses on encrypting executable files across the system, which could lead to the system crashing and other devastating results. It is still unclear if this methodology is the intent, or just an oversight by the ransomware’s authors, but this type of damage is unlikely to pay off if it renders the system nonfunctional.

Thousands of Online Stores Compromised

Due to security loopholes in eCommerce sites that use Magento as a host, nearly 8,000 sites have been confirmed to be hosting card-skimming malware, with up to 60 more being compromised every day. The breaches led to malicious scripts being added to the pages to record and upload any customer inputs in real time, rather than following a more complicated path to obtain the same data after the transaction is complete. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine whether a site is safe without checking the entire codebase for any unauthorized entries.

Fake Tech Support Ads Now Indistinguishable from Real Counterparts

In the run-up to Google’s release of a verification program for third-party vendors to display ads, the company has been inundated with countless fake tech support advertisements that are nearly impossible to identify over a real vendor’s ads. The creators of these fake ads will go to almost any lengths to avoid detection, including creating entire companies to continue their illicit activities.

Unsecured Sites Leaving .git Repositories Easily Accessible

Nearly 400,000 websites have been found with exposed .git directories that could lead to major information exposure, if improperly accessed. These repositories contain everything from passwords and API keys for the site, to forgotten data stored on the sites. Fortunately for the website owners, the researcher who discovered the breach was not acting maliciously, and quickly began contacting them with information on how he found the leak and what they could do to resolve it.

About the Author

Threat Research Analyst

As a Threat Research Analyst, Connor is tasked with discovering and identifying new malware variants, as well as testing current samples to ensure efficacy. Don’t miss the latest security news from around the world in his weekly Cyber News Rundown blog.

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